Innocence Lost
by Moonchild DJ
Summary: Beryl has Darien under her control and working for the Negaverse-what will Serena do and how far would she go to get him back?
1. Default Chapter

Innocence Lost: Chapter 1  
  
By: Moonchild DJ  
  
Genre: First Season  
  
Rating: PG  
  
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Sailor Moon or any of the characters in any way,  
shape or form, I'm just borrowing them for my fics! The wonderful Naoko   
Takeuchi owns them. :)  
  
Author's Note: Konnichiwa, minna-san! Moonchild DJ here, with the first   
SM fic I ever wrote. Please be kind, and please tell me what you think!   
On with the story!  
  
  
"Serena? Don't tell me you're thinking of boys again! You must put   
your mind on more important things-like your school homework or a way to   
defeat the Negaverse." Luna growled softly as she noticed the blondehaired  
girl's quietness and her off-in-space vision. She dangled her tail under   
Serena Tsukino's nose like a wake-up call, and watched her sputter and   
sneeze her way back to reality.  
  
"Luna, I wasn't thinking of boys, I was thinking of Darien!" Serena   
retorted defensively as she glared at the black cat with the crescent moon  
mark upon her forehead.  
  
"My point exactly! I know you worry about him since our last battle with   
the Negaverse, now that he's in their clutches, but you have to concentrate  
on things that are easily solved-like your homework." Luna motioned to the  
open math book in front of Serena with a paw. "You can't let your grades   
perish because of him."  
  
"But it's been a week since it all happened, and there's been no sign of   
him since! There must be *something* that can be done to help him!" Serena  
replied, getting up from her desk and pacing her room.  
  
"Serena...!" Luna growled. She rolled her amber eyes heavenward as if   
asking for divine assistance-or, in their case, lunar assistance. "Pray   
tell me, can YOU think of something to help the poor boy? You've already   
tried to heal him, and the Negaverse just snatched him back and re-erased   
his true memories again!"  
  
"I know that, Luna. Malachite said Darien was in worse shape because Beryl  
had to wipe his mind clean, and it caused him pain. Luna, it was *my* fault  
that he was hurting-if I hadn't tried to heal him..."  
  
"You were just trying to restore him back to normal, make him remember his  
true self and the life he shared with you as Princess Serenity and Prince   
Endymion. Don't let the Negaverse swine tell you you did the wrong thing."  
Luna replied softly, noting Serena's bowed head and tears. "It's the   
Negaverse's doing if Darien's suffering, not yours. Besides, I wouldn't   
trust that monster Malachite's words-he could've been lying to you!  
  
"Maybe..." Serena sniffled. But who was to say-maybe Malachite spoke the   
truth and Darien was hurting? He wanted her Silver Crystal and the Wand,   
and probably enjoyed watching her suffer over Darien-but what if he wasn't  
lying? She glanced at Luna.  
  
"There has to be some way to free him. Can you think of anything at all   
that would help us?"  
  
"Off-paw, I can only think of one thing-the Lunar Mind Meld, a way for   
truth to be revealed by Artemis and myself. But it would not work on him,   
it can only be used for the Scouts."  
  
Serena nodded dismally, running her fingers absently along her long knee-  
length pigtails. "I understand." She sighed sadly, putting her focus back  
to her homework as Luna watched her worriedly.  
  
******  
  
*Sailor Moon-help me be free again!*  
  
Serena gasped as she heard that beloved voice.  
  
*Darien! Where are you? Are you all right?!*  
  
*Yes, for now...I need you!*  
  
*Oh, Darien...I'll help you, I swear it.*  
  
"Sailor Moon, look out!" Sailor Mars cried as their enemy attacked and  
crashed into her. Screaming as she flew through the air, Sailor Moon   
righted herself and landed on her feet to face her attacker. Angry that   
her contact with Darien had been severed, she didn't speak a word as she   
slipped off the tiara from her forehead and mentally changed its form to a  
weapon. She smiled as the glaringly-bright disc hovered between her gloved  
hands before arcing through the air toward the Sailor Scouts' Negaverse   
enemy.  
  
"Sailor Moon, are you okay? You just sort of spaced out!" Sailor Mercury,  
also known as Amy Mizuno, asked as the group gathered around Sailor Moon  
in concern.  
  
"Yeah, spaced out more than usual. You looked like you were...distracted."  
Mars, also known as Raye Hino, grumbled, violet eyes narrowing.  
  
Sailor Moon shook her head, fingering the jeweled brooch on her uniform   
absently as the short-skirted sailor-like uniform glowed and faded like   
unfolding ribbons before turning into her normal clothes.  
  
"I heard Darien in my head. He said he needed me, needed my help to be   
free again."  
  
"So he distracted you while we were fighting that Negaslime? I know he's   
turned traitor, but to knowingly mess you up so you'd get hurt?! That   
creep!" Sailor Jupiter, aka Lita Kino, growled as her uniform also   
unribboned, turning into normal clothes. Serena's panicked blue eyes  
glanced startlingly into Lita's hazel-green gaze.  
  
"No, it wasn't like that, really! He wasn't trying to trick me, he just   
needed my help." Serena protested.  
  
Sailor Venus, otherwise known as Mina Aino, gave her a skeptical look as   
she and the other Scouts' uniforms changed.  
  
"Yeah, right. At that specific time, when up against a Nega-villian...?   
Too weird to be just coincidence, don't you think, Serena?"  
  
"No, you're wrong! My Darien would never do that!"  
  
Luna sighed, her feline heart breaking at the torn expression on Serena's  
face. Her tail switched angrily at the thought of Tuxedo Mask's duplicity.  
"That's just it, Serena-YOUR Darien. This Darien...he belongs to the   
Negaverse, to Beryl. He's not the same young man you knew. You must accept  
that."  
  
Serena clenched her fists angrily. "Never, Luna. I won't give up on Darien.  
I'm gonna save him, even if I have to die for it!"  
  
The Scouts, Serena's greatest friends, gasped.  
  
"Can you hear yourself?! Sacrifice is noble in some cases, but the real   
Darien would never want you to risk it all to save him!" Raye shouted half-  
angrily and half-fearfully as she tried to shake some sense into her friend.  
  
"I have no other choice, Raye. He can only be healed by the Moon Wand,  
which can only be done in close range. I have to find him, go to him   
somehow, even if I have to go into the Negaverse myself."  
  
Raye sucked in a sharp breath, purple eyes filling with tears. All this for  
a guy she'd once hated, only to find he was her once-upon-a-time love? It   
didn't seem real. "Now I KNOW you've gone crazy. You've been listening to  
Malachite's lies too much if you're thinking of going into the Negaverse-  
they'll take the Wand and destroy you! And where would that leave all of   
us, Princess?!"  
  
"My life isn't worth much without Darien, anyway. He's like the other half  
of me-I have to try. They can have the Wand, I just want Darien back."  
  
Luna jumped onto Serena's shoulder and sunk her claws into the skin to get   
her full attention. "Young lady, your mother, Queen Serenity, Queen of the   
Moon Kingdom, sacrificed her life and her throne to keep you, your court,  
Darien, and the Wand safe from Beryl! Now you would just hand it all over   
to save your prince?!" she yowled angrily.  
  
"Yes. I would." Serena answered quietly. Squeezing Raye's hands gently in   
her own, giving her a faint, sad smile, she took the stunned cat off her   
and walked away from the group.  
  
"Oh...she has her mother's giving heart, that one does..." Luna murmured   
faintly, amber eyes overflowing with tears. Artemis stood beside her, hard-  
pressed to keep his own tears in check.  
  
"Yes. She does...We must see to it that she does not face this challenge   
alone. Though Serena has her mother's courage, her court and her guardians  
must protect her, even from herself."  
  
"Right!" Those assembled agreed in one voice, knowing it would not be   
easy. Struggles like these never were.  
  
******  
  
"Excellent job, Malachite, allowing Darien's thoughts to be transferred  
back to that Serena twit." Queen Beryl purred in satisfaction, raking her   
dagger-like fingernails through her long red hair as she peered intently  
into the crystal orb in front of her. "How ever did you do it?"  
  
Malachite smiled. "Well, my Queen, the 'help me be free again' bit was true  
enough-we know that our Dark Prince and the Moon Child can communicate   
mentally in extreme situations. He did so after we captured him when he   
first regained his 'Moon Kingdom' memories. However, the rest was of my   
making, to lure the girl to us."  
  
"Do you really think she'll come to us, and bring the Wand with her? She   
isn't stupid." Beryl warned.  
  
"No, she isn't. But she is very much...what's the human word...?...gullible  
and in love with Darien, and I believe she would risk anything to keep him   
safe."  
  
"Including her very life. Mm..she IS very resourceful. She could be useful   
to us."  
  
"Your pardon, my Queen, but how could that be?"  
  
Beryl smiled slowly, a movement that made even one of the Negaverse's Dark  
Generals shiver in fear.  
  
"Wouldn't my old enemy, Queen Serenity, just roll in her grave for the plans   
I have for her pretty little daughter?" she murmured softly, her slim, tall  
frame shaking with the eveil laughter the plan in her mind brought to her.  
Oh, she would enjoy every minute of this, she knew. Revenge could be so   
sweet.  
  
~End of Chapter 1~ 


	2. Chapter 2

Innocence Lost: Chapter 2  
  
By: Moonchild DJ  
  
Genre: First Season  
  
Rating: PG  
  
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon and its characters do not belong to me-they belong  
to Naoko Takeuchi and company..however, this story and its ideas/plotline  
belongs to me, so please don't steal! Thanks! I should also say that any   
relation from this storyline to any other fics out there are entirely   
accidental-I'm not stealing anyone's ideas, promise!  
  
Author's Note: Hey there, minna-chan! Moonchild DJ here again with Chapter  
2 of "Innocence Lost"..I hope you liked Chapter 1 and like what's to come-  
as always, comments/critizms are always appreciated..let me know what you  
think! That said, on with the story!  
*********************  
  
Serena shivered as an evil laugh seemed to echo through the air   
around her. Beryl. She just couldn't bear that that sleaze-queen had   
Darien under her power. No one, least of all Darien, deserved that   
witch's wrath. She would free him, even if she had to sacfrifice all...  
  
"Serena, please reconsider your plan! You just *can't* hand over the   
crystal and Wand, and your life! Your mother's plans will all have been   
for nothing if you do." Luna growled as she glared at Serena.  
  
"If there was some other way, Luna, I'd gladly take it. But there isn't,  
is there? I have no choice."  
  
"Yes, you do! Just...wait a little longer, until you have another plan   
that doesn't involve losing everything. Your mother fought Beryl without  
having to lose everything--"  
  
Serena whirled on Luna, the anger on the girl's face making the black cat  
stumble backwards and nearly fall off the bed. "You're wrong there, Luna.  
Sure, she saved the Moon Kingdom-what was left of it-and the Wand, but   
she lost her people and her daughter. She had to send us to Earth to   
insure we would live again, right?"  
  
"Well...yes, but--"  
  
"Then she had to sacrifice, as well. To insure that the Wand and the Moon  
Kingdom didn't fall into Beryl's hands, she had to contain Beryl and her  
goon squad, but she couldn't kill them because then she would destroy all  
of us who had fallen under Beryl's vengeance. So she sent all of us to   
Earth to live new lives, but we'd have no memories of the Moon Kingdom.   
So, ultimately, she sacrificed the kingdom, her leadership, her people   
and...and her life. And you say that she gave up nothing?! Get your   
memory checked, Luna!"  
  
Luna sucked in an amazed gasp as she stared at Serena. She smiled faintly  
at her defensive crossed-arms gesture and the tears the girl shed at her  
once upon a time mother's struggles. Serena wasn't just a goofball flake  
(although she wondered sometimes), she had intelligence and a very big  
heart. She was going to be a wonderful Queen someday, one that her mother  
would be very proud of.  
  
"You're right, young lady. Your mother had many trials before her. Losing   
her home, her life, and especially her beloved child. The memories get a  
little jumbled after so long a time away from the Moon Kingdom. Forgive   
me, Princess."  
  
Serena turned, humbled at the tiny black cat bowing before her like   
royalty. She blushed and chuckled softly before gently scooping up her   
Guardian to cradle her to her. "Aw, Luna, y'know I can't stay mad at you  
for very long. Besides, we need each other in this crazy world!" she   
chuckled as Luna purred in agreement and wrapped her front paws around   
her fingers.  
  
"Indeed we do, Serena. Where would we be without each other to depend   
upon? Just do not be TOO upset if the Scouts, Artemis, and myself do   
everything in our power to protect you, all right? Are we agreed on   
that?"  
  
Serena nodded, smiling. "Sure. You'd be messing up your royal duties if   
you *didn't* protect the Moon Princess at all costs, wouldn't you?"  
  
Luna grinned, rolling amber feline eyes. "I suppose so, yes...how did we  
ever get stuck with a princess like you? One who's stubborn, a crybaby,  
clumsy, loud, irresponsible, boy and food-crazy..."  
  
Serena winced. "Okay, okay! Sheesh, enough with the bad points, aright,   
Luna?!"  
  
Luna smiled, stopping her teasing tirade before Serena really got angry   
and dropped her or something. "...but who has a gentle, brave heart,   
loyalty, guts and intelligence enough to overwhelm any weak points."  
  
Serena smiled faintly as her eyes welled up with tears. "Oh, you're gonna  
make me cry...!"  
  
Luna yowled, covering her head with her paws. "Oh, heavens, no, don't! I   
don't have an umbrella with me!"  
  
"Ha, ha, ha, smarty cat. Should've had you be a court jester instead of   
one of the Queen's advisors and Royal Guardian!"  
  
Luna laughed a kitty laugh, bumped her head against Serena's chin in   
affection and leapt to the floor in search for something to eat. "Ah,   
well, we agree to disagree!" she replied as she padded out of the room,  
down the steps, toward the kitchen. But deep inside her feline soul, she  
was worried. What extremes would Serena go to to rescue Darien? To have   
him free once more? To have him remember all they shared? Would she   
sacrifice herself and the Moon Wand to the Negaverse?  
******  
  
"How will you play this, my Queen? How will you capture Sailor Moon?"  
Malachite questioned hesitantly, not wanting to anger Beryl by   
questioning her authority or her decisions. He learned the hard way you  
never question the Queen of the Negaverse. The previous Negaverse   
generals--Jedite, Nephlite...his beloved Zoiszite...--were fatal evidence  
of that "don't cross me" attitude she was known for.  
  
Beryl smiled slowly, reddish-brown eyes narrowing smoothly like a   
snake's. She tossed her fiery red hair. "Simple, Malachite. To draw the   
child in, we use bait." She smiled smugly as she glanced toward a shadow  
behind Malachite. "You know your duty. Go."  
  
The shadow bowed respectfully, then blended into the darkness and   
disappeared. Malachite's ice-blue eyes narrowed.  
  
"That will lure the Moon Child, true, but can he be trusted? What if the  
girl turns him against us?"  
  
Beryl shook her head. "Peace, Malachite. All will work out as planned.   
You will see." she murmured confidently.  
  
"I hope you are right, my Queen. The child is formidable, even for one so  
young. Our plans could blow up in our face with the Sailor Brat and her  
scouts."  
  
Beryl smiled sweetly as she glanced at Malachite. "If such a thing   
occurs, it will not be my undoing, but yours, for I'll have your head for   
not stopping them sooner and being a failure and an embarrassment to the  
Negaverse. Do you understand?"  
  
Malachite, gulped, nodded, bowing before Beryl nervously. He'd better   
have a back-up plan, just in case this scheme failed, or he'd be going the  
way of the other generals. He, too, faded away from Beryl's presence,   
following the other in the darkness to successfully complete his mission.  
He HAD to win, or he would die trying.  
******  
  
Darien smiled cruelly as he sensed Malachite behind him. So, the   
arrogant man didn't trust him, huh? Like Sailor Moon could do anything to  
lead him away from the Negaverse! He snorted in disbelief softly,   
ignoring the insistant little voice inside him screaming that the path he  
was walking was wrong. Sailor Moon and her little Scouts fan club would   
lose, and the Silver Crystal and the Moon Wand would soon be in Beryl's   
hands, where they belonged.   
  
He ignored the intuition pinging against his head that his alliance with   
the Negaverse was insane. Why was it so wrong? He asked that of himself,  
only to be met mentally with a blank, black wall. Why was it he was   
questioning his own actions? Why did it feel wrong to be fighting against  
Sailor Moon and the Sailor Scouts? He shook his dark head, perplexed, but  
then remembered his mission. He smiled again and let his mind reach out   
to the intense light that was Sailor Moon's mental domain.  
  
*Sailor Moon!* he called as that warmness reached out to him like a   
siren's call.  
  
*Darien?! Is that you?* came the soft reply.  
  
*Yes. I need to see you. Come to me.*  
  
*I will, Darien. Are you all right?*  
  
*....As well as can be expected. See you soon.*  
  
*Yes....* came Sailor Moon's breathless reply, breezing across the   
strange link they shared to caress Darien's mind. He shook away the   
gentleness the gentle warmth inspired in him and smiled, relishing his   
and the Negaverse's victory in his grasp. Not long to wait, now....  
  
~End of Chapter 2~ 


	3. Chapter 3

Innocence Lost  
Chapter 3  
Genre: First Season  
Rating: PG  
Author: Moonchild DJ  
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: I do not own Sailor Moon, sad to say. That all belongs to   
the various people and companies that have the rights to our beloved  
heroine and anything of Sailor Moon..I just borrow the characters to   
write the fics, so there's no need to sue!  
  
Author's Notes: Kon'wa, minna-chan! I know it's been a long time since  
I updated, but I'm here now to make it up..from here on in, things   
oughta be a bit more exciting, so hang on and enjoy the ride..and, as   
always, tell me what you think! ^_^  
********  
  
Luna, Artemis, and the Sailor Scouts panted faintly as they   
struggled to keep up with Sailor Moon. She moved like never before,  
running as fast as she could go with nary an exhaustive wheeze or   
tiredness in sight. Who knew such motivation, such stubborn   
determinedness, could be found in Serena? But then, Darien had called  
for her...  
  
"Sailor Moon, are you sure about this? It could be another Negaverse  
trap!" Luna cried. The black cat saw Serena shake her head, and knew  
nothing could stop her from this.  
  
"I don't care, Luna. Darien needs me, that's all that matters! If you  
don't want to follow, don't. I can do this myself."  
  
Artemis let out an angry yowl at Serena's words. "Are you crazy,   
Sailor Moon?! We can't--WON'T--let you walk alone into danger! We're   
your Guardians, your Court, your friends. We face peril together or   
not at all!" The white cat retorted as he ran at Sailor Venus' side.  
  
"Right! It's our mission, our *destiny*, to protect you, and that's   
what we're going to do, Negaverse or no Negaverse!" Sailor Mars cried  
as she glanced at Serena with dark-eyed worry. She was acting so   
strange, so...final, as if she expected to never come out of this   
ALIVE...was she really going to sacrifice herself to the Negaverse in  
order to free Darien? She was getting some strong negative vibes that  
pointed to "yes"...  
  
"Sailor Moon!" A low, masculine voice cried out to them suddenly,   
halting their dashing flight. Serena turned as the white sickle-  
shaped moon appeared from behind the clouds, shining its light into   
the dark night.  
  
A shadow not far away from where they stood turned out to be the   
black-and-silver clothed Prince Endymion. He gave them a brief smile  
and sketched a mocking bow. "Sailor Moon, Sailor Scouts and   
Guardians--a pleasure to see all of you again. But you needn't have   
to joined Sailor Moon in this evening quest--I wished to see only   
her."  
  
Sailor Jupiter snorted as she and Mars took a protective stance in   
front of their princess. "Yeah, like we're going to leave her alone   
to be captured by you and your Nega-goons. Not likely, traitor!"  
  
Darien frowned, honestly perplexed at her words. "Why do you call me   
a traitor? That would say that I was once on your side, when I know I   
am a warrior of the Negaverse. I never fought by your side."  
  
"You once did, Darien, and not too long ago. You were the Scouts'   
greatest ally...and more..." Sailor Moon replied softly, hating that  
her beloved Tuxedo Mask--Darien--was brainwashed into believing he   
was part of the Negaverse and the Scouts' enemy. Smiling briefly as   
the Scouts and Guardians formed a protective circle around her, she   
wondered how she would ever free him from evil. There had to be a   
way...  
  
"Darien, please remember! You were our friend, you were always there  
for us when we needed you. You saved my life more than once. You're   
not our enemy!" she cried, crystal tears starting to flow down her   
cheeks.  
  
Unmoved and not replying, Darien pulled his cape around him and   
disappeared from sight using Negaverse magic.  
  
"No! Darien, come back! Not again..." Sailor Moon keened brokenly,   
barely having time to gasp as Darien reappeared inside the protective  
circle and grabbed her. He chuckled.  
  
"You're mine, now..." he murmured as the Negaforce spirited them   
away. She heard the echoes of the Sailor Scouts' despairing cries as   
the darkness closed in on her. The cold shadows frightened her, and  
she clasped one of Darien's hands in hers, surprised when he didn't  
resist and embraced her soothingly.  
  
'You're not evil, Darien. Deep inside, you're still the one I love.'  
she thought to herself, hearing the calm, differently-modulated,   
cultured tones of her former self, the Moon Princess. She could feel  
the Princess' inner touch to her spirit, could feel herself change.  
  
*Darien, do not leave me, please...*  
  
*Never. Ssh, now, I'm here...*  
  
Even in the darkness, he found and clasped both hands in his. Their  
entwined hands produced a soft glow, allowing her to see and look   
into those dark eyes she so adored. He smiled gently and pulled her  
securely into his arms...then both screamed as the Negaforce hit them  
fully, nearly drowning out Beryl's exultant laugh.  
  
"You're mine, Sailor Moon! You and the Silver Imperium Crystal and   
Moon Wand--the Negaverse wins!"  
  
Sailor Moon was inclined to agree as the dark numbness of   
unconsciousness overcame her. Sensing her fear, Darien clenched her  
hands as their senses faded away into nothingness  
******  
  
"Anything, Mercury?" Sailor Venus asked of Sailor Mercury as she  
attempted to locate the missing couple that had disappeared before   
their eyes with her technology.  
  
Mercury bit her lip as she prayed she would find something, anything,  
to show that Serena wasn't in the Negaverse's grasp, that she wasn't  
in terrible danger.  
  
"Nothing, Venus. At least, nothing on our physical, normal plane. The  
Negaverse, however, is another matter entirely..."  
  
"There must be something we can do! We've gotta find Sailor Moon   
before the Negaslime can hurt her!" Jupiter cried angrily.  
  
"Yeah, but how? We don't have the powwer or ability to get to the   
Negaverse like Darien or Beryl's flunkies. We're helpless to do   
anything to save Sailor Moon!" Mars spat as she let off little rounds  
of fire from her hands in helpless anger.  
  
"Luna, there must be SOMETHING we can do! Anything!" Artemis demanded  
desperately. Luna shook her head.  
  
"There is nothing we can do, Artemis, only wait and pray. The   
Negaverse has the upper hand, and I--AAARR!!" The black cat stumbled,   
falling limply against her white companion.  
  
"LUNA!!" The Scouts and Artemis cried in horror, gathering around the  
now-trembling feline. She closed tear-filled amber eyes as the moon   
mark on her forehead trembled, then glowed frantically. She bit back  
a maddened yowl as pain and fear overwhelmed her.  
  
"What are they doing to her?! Serena!!" she cried fearfully. She bent  
her head, praying her legs would hold her.  
  
"Luna, what's wrong?! What about Serena?!" Mercury cried as she   
scooped up Serena's Guardian before she fell.  
  
Luna hissed in shared pain as she glanced up at the Scouts. "Th-the  
Negaverse...Beryl...they're hurting Serena. No...n-not hurting her...  
at least not phys-physically...They're trying to ch-change her.   
They're trying to make her one o-of them, like Darien...! AAAaaaa...!  
Fight it, Serena...! D-don't let them win!" Luna cried out to the   
girl she was sworn to protect, feeling her pain as if it were her   
own.  
  
The Scouts gasped as Luna's moon mark shimmered as if in a breeze,   
nearly fading at some points. Beryl was winning! And there was   
nothing they could do to help Serena. She was on her own--and losing  
to Evil Incarnate. One by one, the Scouts started to cry forlornly as  
Luna's moon mark faded almost to the point of being no more. If that  
moon vanished, they could lose their friend and leader, the hope for  
the future, forever!  
  
"Fight back, Serena. Don't give up! You can win--you can defeat this  
evil! Don't let her control you or Darien." The Scouts chanted with  
one voice, praying with one heart as they watched the moon on Luna's  
forehead.  
******  
  
Serena could hear their voices, their desperate pleas as if   
through a tunnel, but could do nothing but hold on frantically to   
Darien. She sagged weakly against him, and if not for his strength,  
would have fallen. What was Beryl doing to her, draining her of her  
energy and life? She felt so weak, so tired...  
  
"My Queen, what's...what's happening..? What..what are you doing to   
Sailor Moon, to me...?"  
  
She feebly raised her head at Darien's shaking voice, realizing that   
Darien was caught in the energy wave, too. Oh, not him, too! She   
understood her own capture, but an innocent man who already believed  
himself to be of the Negaverse? If only she had the power to spare   
him from the pain...!  
  
All thoughts ceased in her mind as a black energy wave arced through   
her, stiffening her body and driving memories, her very being,   
spirit, and soul from her, sending her spiraling into Darkness...  
  
"You are MINE, now, Sailor Moon..." A mocking voice sneered   
triumphantly as her consciousness faded a second time, leaving her   
floating in Black emptiness...  
  
The internal light within her, the spirit of the Goodness, of the   
Moon Kingdom, faded from her, locked within Darkness. Anyone who   
might have looked upon the destiny-chosen Moon Child would have been  
astonished to see the golden crescent moon mark upon her forehead   
gleam desperately, then turn black and flip upside-down. They might  
have also heard a despairing scream echo within their souls as   
innocence was lost...  
******  
  
"NNNOOOOOO! Serena!!" Luna wailed frantically, her feline body   
stiffening in Mercury's arms as the golden moon faded into a dark   
moon on Luna's forehead.  
  
"No! We've lost her...!" Artemis choked, bowing his head as his moon  
mark also changed into a black moon.  
  
Mercury, Venus, Mars and Jupiter's tiaras disappeared, their Sailor   
Scout uniforms unribboning before fading into their normal clothes.  
  
"What just happened?!" Mars demanded as she searched in vain for her  
tiara.  
  
"Beryl was too strong. She used the Negaforce to overwhelm Sailor   
Moon's defenses. We've lost her..." Artemis spat as he glanced up at   
the girls with sad, hollow blue eyes. "Sailor Moon's power is   
connected with yours--that's why your uniforms are gone."  
  
"But we still have our individual power wands--so a piece of Sailor  
Moon must still exist!" Venus argued as she produced the small wand  
that helped her transform into Sailor Venus.  
  
Cradling the unconscious Luna against her, Mercury nodded as she and  
Mars and Jupiter alos showed Artemis their wands. "That's right--if  
Sailor Moon ceased to be, we wouldn't have our wands or be able to   
call upon our powers." She nodded in satisfaction as she mentally   
produced her bubbles with a free hand.  
  
Jupiter nodded slowly. "Then that must mean our Moon Princess is   
still alive! But what have the Negaslime done to her to cut off her   
power that connects our energy? What could they do to make the   
Guardians of the Moon lose their moon symbols?"  
  
Even the intelligent Mercury didn't have an answer for that. Mars   
gulped, feeling the darkness around the aura of light that was   
uniquely Serena's. Could darkness overcome light? She prayed to the   
power of her planet that it wasn't so...  
******  
  
Malachite smirked as he glanced down at the still form of Sailor  
Moon, resisting an urge to kick the warrior when she was defenseless.  
Queen Beryl wouldn't like that--besides, it seemed that his Dark   
Queen had plans for the girl...  
  
Beryl chuckled softly as she caressed the loose curls escaping from   
the bunned hairstyle of her enemy. "You tried to take Tuxedo Mask   
from me, didn't you, little one?" she whispered softly to the   
unconscious girl. "I will never underestimate you again. But you   
should never underestimate me, either. It's greatly ironic, don't you  
think--to use your once-love to capture you and make you my slave?   
For that's what you will be, now..." She chuckled again and fingered  
the dark moon on the girl's forehead. "My slave...warrior of the   
Negaverse...Dark Moon. It fits, don't you agree?"  
  
Malachite frowned. "Are...are you sure this is safe, my Queen? What   
if she breaks your spell? What if the Scouts, or even Darien, make   
her remember the truth?"  
  
Tracing the moon mark with one long blood-red fingernail, Beryl   
turned and stared at the last surviving General. "Are you questioning  
my judgement, Malachite? What have I told you and the Generals   
preceding you?"  
  
He struggled not to tremble in the Queen's presence, fisting his   
hands in his silver-white and blue cape. "Do not question you. Do not  
presume to think we know better than you. Do not give the orders or   
undermine your decisions. I understand your wishes, my Queen, I just   
do not wish to let anything blow up in our faces. Anything could go   
wrong, and we could be left back at square one or worse, we could be  
defeated permanently."  
  
Beryl shook her head, her long, full red hair shifting around her   
shoulders. "We will not lose. Not with our newest member." She smiled  
as her eyes fell again upon Sailor Moon. She raised a hand, shifting  
her fingers in the air over the unconscious form.  
  
Malachite's heart jumped as the air seemed to grow heavy, settle over  
Sailor Moon, outlining, then glowing around her figure from head to   
toe. The sailor uniform she wore shifted, then, like water, changed   
and melted. The blue, white, red and gold uniform darkened its color,  
turning black, white and purple, shifting from the sailor collar,   
bows, and "cheerleader" skirt to a knee-length black and purple cape,  
black bodice with a upside-down moon slit at the top of her chest,   
and a black side-slitted mini-skirt. The gloves, neck collar, and   
boots were black and white, decorated with a purple upside-down moon.  
  
Beryl chuckled, pleased with herself. "The darkness inside and out,   
eh, Malachite? It suits her well. Except for those blasted balls on   
the top of her head..." She raised her hand again, this time over the  
buns that was Sailor Moon's signature hairstyle. Dark light undid the  
hairstyle, instead coiling it into two long braids behind her ears,   
changing also the little moon earrings she wore to the new moon symbol.  
  
"There. Now for the awakening..."  
  
Dark light again came from Beryl's hand, filling the girl's form.  
  
"Awaken, Serena. Your mistress summons you..."  
  
Blue eyes fluttered slowly, then opened. With a low groan, the former  
Champion for the Moon Kingdom, for Love and Justice, rose from the   
platform and slid to her feet, then went to one knee before Beryl as  
she placed a fist over her heart, head bowed.  
  
"What are your orders...my Queen?"  
********  
~End Chapter 3~ 


	4. Chapter 4

Innocence Lost  
Chapter 4  
Genre: First Season  
Rating: PG  
Author: Moonchild DJ  
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com  
  
Disclaimer: *wails* I don't own Sailor Moon! Naoko-sama and others own  
the wonderful Odango Atama, not me, no matter how much I wish   
otherwise! All I can do is pay homage to them and make fanfiction. I DO  
own this fic and its plotline, so, onegai, don't take anything from it  
or attempt to make it your own. Domo arigato. Oh, and if it sounds like  
anything anybody's wrote out there, gomen nasai, I'm not copying or   
plagarizing, honest.   
  
Author's Notes: Well, kon'wa, minna-chan! Moonchild DJ here again with  
Chapter 4 of this ficcie! I'm very glad you all like it! ^_^ It's my   
baby, and the very first SM fic I did, so I'm thrilled it's getting   
praise. Domo arigato for reading and reviewing it, it means a lot to   
me. Please don't be afraid to review, I love hearing from you what you   
think! Keep it up, and enjoy the story!  
********  
  
Malachite stifled a laugh at the former Princess of the Moon   
serving his--*their*--Queen's orders. 'Not quite so proud, are we,   
Moon Brat?' he thought nastily.  
  
The blonde head turned, and cold blue eyes glared at him. *Proud?   
That's more your style, along with arrogant!*  
  
Malachite gasped, pale blue eyes widening at the mental voice of the   
girl in his head. "My Queen, she--!!"  
  
"I know. Her mental capabilities have increased dramatically. This is  
incredible--and so very useful." Beryl smiled, then motioned for Serena  
to rise. "How do you feel, my child?"  
  
Serena winced, rubbing the back of her head. "Truthfully, my head   
hurts. And I can't remember what happened before now..." She winced   
again, a look of confusion marring her pretty features.  
  
"Our Enemy did this to you. They tried to brainwash you and bring you   
to their side, but we managed to save you in time before they could do  
any lasting damage."  
  
"'They'...?" Serena questioned, a blank look dulling her luminous eyes  
for a moment. Beryl chuckled softly. Her plan had succeeded--the girl   
had no memory of her former life as the Champion of Justice, Sailor   
Moon. She could make the girl over as she saw fit...  
  
"The Sailor Scouts and their Guardians--their leader, Venus, Jupiter,  
Mars and Mercury, Luna and Artemis of the Moon. They tried to capture   
you and take you away from me, I, who have been a mother to you since   
your true mother abandoned you so long ago..." She put a pale arm   
around Serena and gave her what she figured was a motherly smile.  
  
Malachite choked back a laugh at the sight. Beryl glared at him   
warningly, then turned back to the confused girl. "She who bore you   
gave you the moon symbol that adorns your forehead, but I gave you a   
place to belong, a life to live. You are my greatest weapon, my loyal  
heir and diciple to the Negaforce. My gift to the world--Dark Moon,   
who shall cover the light and bring the reign of Darkness." She grinned  
and twisted the knife more firmly into the Scouts' back. "They also   
tried to take away your beloved, my Champion Warrior, Darien."  
  
"Darien...?" Serena whispered, eyes widening in horror. While the   
previous words her Queen spoke held no meaning, thanks to these Sailor  
Scouts, 'beloved Darien' brought her world crashing to a halt. Darien..  
he used to tease her, calling her 'Meatball Head'--the familiar memory/  
nickname drew a confused blank at the moment--they were mortal enemies..  
until he was hurt in a battle. She couldn't remember how he'd been   
hurt--perhaps against those evil Sailor Scouts--but she remembered   
being terrified of losing him again. Again...? It made her realize just  
how important he was to her, how much she loved him. She had vowed to  
never lose him again...but she somehow had...so many lost memories..she  
glanced up at Beryl.  
  
"Is he all right? Please tell me he's okay!" she whispered fearfully.  
  
"He is hurt, but nothing life-threatening. He will recover. I think it  
will help having his dear one by his side." 'And it will keep him with  
me, if the one who holds his memories is also in my possession...'  
  
Serena nodded slowly, fingering the dark moon-shaped wand strapped to   
her side. "I understand, my Queen."  
  
"Serena...that weapon around your waist..." Beryl murmured, struggling  
to not just reach out and take it. The Moon Wand was oh so close...if  
only she had it in her hands...  
  
"This?" Serena asked, holding up the now-ebony-hued moon weapon to the  
light. "It's my Dark Moon Wand..."  
  
"May I see it?" Beryl purred, holding out a slightly-trembling hand.  
  
"I..." Serena hesitated. What was wrong with her? Why was she not   
obeying the command her Queen gave her? Why did she feel like running?  
Pushing back the strange notions, Serena hesitated once more, then slid  
the weapon into Beryl's palm.  
  
Beryl's amber eyes widened in disbelief, hardly daring to acknowledge  
that the powerful weapon of Queen Serenity, passed down to the Moon   
Princess, her daughter, Serena, was now curled between her long   
fingers. She smiled, then murmured the incantation to harness its   
power.  
  
"Cosmic Moon Power...!" she chanted, holding the wand high, expecting  
any moment for the desired power she had dreamed of for a thousand   
years to burst into being.  
  
Nothing happened. Beryl's eyes narrowed in anger.  
  
"What the...? Why isn't it working?" she hissed.  
  
"My Queen...the wand only works for me. No one else can tap into its   
power." Serena replied softly so as to not anger Beryl further. She   
tapped thoughtfully at the moon symbol on her forehead. "Something to   
do with the moon emblem, maybe..." She didn't know how she knew this,  
but it whispered of the truth. She watched Beryl take gulping breaths,  
nostrils flaring with suppressed anger.  
  
She handed the weapon back to Serena, cursing her luck. She finally had  
the wand in her hands...and the blasted denizens of the Moon still   
overruled her plans. At least she had the little princess. She   
attempted to remain calm, smiling stiffly.  
  
"Go now, child, see to your beloved. When I have need of you, you will  
be summoned with he and Malachite."  
  
Serena bowed her head, disappearing into the shadowed halls of the   
Negaverse. Malachite frowned, then turned to Beryl. "My Queen...can she  
be trusted?"  
  
Beryl frowned, slamming her mystical staff into the ground. "The little  
Moon twit is mine, now, Malachite. The oh-so-royal Highness of the Moon,  
Serenity, can do nothing to save her daughter this time. The fate of   
the girl rests in my hands...and she shall serve me well." She   
brightened, her clawed fingertips curling around the globe of Nega-  
darkness as she summoned its scrying abilities. "In the meantime, let   
see what our foes are doing--you keep an eye on the child and our   
Champion."  
  
Malachite nodded, blending into the shadows. Now, to find the Moon   
Child and her Prince...  
******  
  
Luna hissed softly, then took a deep breath as Artemis supported   
her swaying form. "She's alive...but so changed! She feels so   
different...dark...confused. Beryl has indeed brainwashed her, infusing  
her with dark energy. She has been turned against us, like Darien. I   
can't feel her goodness, her light...perhaps if I was stronger, I might  
be able to do more..." She sighed, bowing her head as feelings of   
helplessness overwhelmed her. She was Serena's Guardian--she was   
supposed to protect her. Thanks to her weakness and inadaquacy, Serena  
was in grave danger. There was nothing she could do...  
  
"Luna..." Artemis' low voice murmured softly. She glanced at the white  
cat beside her, Venus' Guardian. His blue eyes stared intently at her,  
as if to physically make her believe his words. "It is NOT your fault  
that Serena's lost to us. We *will* rescue her, Darien too. You have   
not failed her or slacked in her training as a Sailor Scout. She is   
strong. Her heart and mind are still clear--they're just hidden behind  
a dark moon. She will come back to us. You have to believe that."  
  
Luna keened softly, fearful for her charge. "How? How can I believe   
that when Serena's in Beryl's clutches, when that witch has twisted her  
soul-self so easily to make her a Negaverse warrior? When she's   
forgotten her true self and it's engulfed in darkness?" She stumbled   
away from the warm comfort of her fellow Guardian, staring beseechingly  
up at the pearl-white full moon. Tears glittered against amber eyes and  
black fur, caught in the moonlight.  
  
"Queen Serenity!" she cried to the spirit-goddess who once ruled so   
happily in the Silver Millenium, in that peaceful time. "Please, guard  
and guide your daughter! She needs you, now more than ever! Protect our  
Moon Princess from the Darkness..guide her path back to us, to her   
rightful life. Don't let her be lost to us--the world needs her   
goodness, her light, against our Enemy. Please help her, Lady..don't   
let all our hard work and sacrifice be in vain.." She closed her eyes,  
feeling Serenity's ethereal touch.  
  
*--Do not fear Guardian of the Moon. My daughter was made and re-made  
for far more than Beryl's evil. She is not alone.--*  
  
Luna smiled, feeling a ghostly hand brush away her tears.  
  
*--Go with Artemis-you have far more than Serena's well-being to worry  
about...--* the soft inner-voice said dryly. Luna sighed, nodding in   
thanks and acceptance as she walked with Artemis.  
  
'Yes, far more,' she thought to herself. 'How to tell Serena's family  
the latest trouble their 'double-persona''d daughter and sister was in  
now...this is *not* going to be pretty...'  
******  
  
Inside the Tsukino household, Raye, Mina, Lita and Amy were   
attempting to do just that--with less-than successful results. Sammy,  
Serena's little brother, flat out laughed his head off.  
  
"MY big sister, clumsy, wimpy, food-and-sleep-crazy Serena, Sailor   
Moon?! What planet are you from?"  
  
"Why, you little...!" Raye growled, prevented by Amy from scorching the  
boy with her fire power.  
  
"Mr. and Mrs. Tsukino, please, you must believe us!" Ilene Tsukino  
shook her head at Amy's plea.  
  
"Amy, you are a very intelligent young lady, so you must know this is..  
a little hard to swallow!"  
  
"In normal cases, yes, but..."  
  
Darkhaired, bespectacled Ken Tsukino gently embraced his wife. "In *any*  
case, Miss Mizuno! Our little Serena is just a normal young lady in   
junior high, like all of you. Even if it was true, she would NEVER keep  
secrets from her family. It's not her nature."  
  
Lita shook her head. "Serena's had to do a lot of things she wouldn't  
normally do since becoming Sailor Moon, including keeping secrets from  
family and friends. She never wanted to *not* tell you, but she was   
only protecting you from danger! The way things have turned out, it was  
time for you to know."  
  
Remembering all the times that her daughter was so tired or weak, quiet,  
moody or scared for little reason, Ilene clenched her husband's hand   
with sudden clarifying fear. "What danger? Is my little girl all right?"  
  
The quartet glanced at each other in worry. Mina awkwardly cleared her  
throat as she shoved a hand through her long blonde hair absently. "We..  
we really don't know. Last night, we were in a battle and one of our   
enemies sortakinda disappeared with her. We haven't seen her since,   
but..well, she may be in terrible trouble."  
  
Husband and wife gasped as one, holding on to each other for strength.  
Sammy glanced up at them, then crossed his arms in a mixture of   
desperate denial and instinctive fear.  
  
"This is a bunch of bull! Serena isn't super-hero material, much less   
have th' guts to be Sailor Moon. Her friends are playin' some sort of  
trick, or maybe Serena herself." He nodded, emitting a sort of   
whimpering laugh as he cupped his hands around his mouth. "Okay, Serena,  
we give! You can come out now! Joke's over!"  
  
When his big sister failed to show, Sammy's shoulders hunched as he  
wiped away a terrified tear. A gentle, understanding hand clasped his  
shoulder. He glanced up into Amy's tearful eyes.  
  
"I know this is hard to believe, Sammy, but Serena's in danger. She   
couldn't tell you her secret because she was afraid that our enemies  
would use or hurt you to make her do what they wanted. She hated lying  
to you, but it was the only way for you to remain safe if you didn't   
know."  
  
Sammy pulled away as he dashed the tears from his eyes. "Am I the only  
one who hasn't gone nuts in believing this lie?! Serena isn't...she   
can't be...!"  
  
"I'm afraid she is, Sammy. It is her destiny, good or bad..."  
  
The group gathered turned, seeing the family cat that bore a strange   
moon mark upon her forehead pad into the room, followed closely by a   
white cat with the same symbol. Luna's tail lashed anxiously around her  
feet as she sat down. Her intelligent amber eyes glanced sadly at   
Serena's family.   
  
"I wish it didn't have to be like this...I wish you could've found out  
under more pleasant circumstances...but what's done is done."  
  
Sammy blinked as he was joined by his stunned parents. "Th-the cat...  
Luna TALKS...?!" he squeaked.  
********  
~End Chapter 4~ 


	5. Chapter 5

Innocence Lost  
Chapter 5  
Rating: PG  
Author: Moonchild DJ  
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com  
Website URL: www.angelfire.com/anime4/animehime  
  
Disclaimer: As anyone reading or writing fanfiction should know, I have  
no claim to the Sailor Moon characters, they belong to the various   
companies who own them. I just write fanfiction about my favorite   
odangoed heroine! ^_^ But I do have claim to this story and its plot,  
because I'M the one who thought it all up! So please don't steal.  
  
Author's Note: Hey there, minna-san! Moonchild DJ back with Chapter 5  
to a long-neglected "Innocence Lost". Gomen for the long wait, but I   
hope this chapter will suffice. Enjoy, and please review!   
********  
  
"Th-the cat...Luna TALKS...?!" Sammy squeaked as he stared at the black  
cat that sat before them. Luna chuckled dryly at Sammy's shock, then   
glanced at Serena's mother and father.  
  
"Indeed I do, as does Artemis, here. He's is Mina's Guardian, as I am  
Serena's. The girls speak the truth--Serena is Sailor Moon, among other  
things..." At the Tsukino family's blank looks of confusion, Luna shook  
her head ruefully. "That's another story. At this moment in time, you  
must know of the circumstances regarding the birth of Sailor Moon."  
  
She took a deep breath, her amber eyes half-closing in rememberance.   
"When I reached this city, I began searching for the one who would   
become the Champion for the Moon. I came across many young ladies in my  
search, but none had the feel of the warrior I needed to fight evil."  
  
"Feel? What do you mean?" Mrs. Tsukino murmured.  
  
Luna sighed. "It's...hard to explain. When I came upon the girl, I would  
automatically know. A...sense, if you will. I was so distracted in my   
search that a group of schoolboys captured me and poked and prodded at  
me as children do with animals. My moon mark was covered by a band-aid,  
so my lunar senses were dulled. Serena came upon the children as she was  
heading to school, and she shooed them away and took care of me. She   
pulled the band-aid away, and my lunar senses came rushing back--I felt   
something from the girl, but wasn't sure what. So I followed her   
throughout the day, observing her and feeling more sure that this   
contradictious girl was the one. She wouldn't have been my first choice,  
but the senses do not lie."  
  
She shrugged feline shoulders, smiling nostalgically. "I came into this   
house and presented myself and my cause. She thought she was dreaming   
and wouldn't believe me, which I don't blame her for. Who would believe   
in a talking cat and the duty of becoming a super hero?"  
  
Mr. Tsukino shook his head, pushing his glasses higher up his nose. "No  
wonder Serena would talk to you as if you were another human being and  
not just a cat. So, you recruited her to be Sailor Moon, Champion of   
Love and Justice?" Luna nodded.  
  
"Yes, I was her Guardian, and guided and taught her in her new role in  
life. Poor dear, she just wanted to be a normal teenager, not fight   
against evil, but she couldn't shirk her destiny. She was quite unsure  
of herself, clumsy and scared--"  
  
"Still is, Luna." Raye grumbled softly.  
  
"--But she is much better and better prepared to fight back against the  
Negaverse." Luna continued, giving Raye a warning look.  
  
"N-Negaverse?" Sammy stammered, eyes widening.  
  
"An ancient evil that's been around for as long as a thousand years,   
when her mother last faced them." Artemis replied.  
  
"Artemis!" Luna hissed at the white cat as confused looks blossomed on  
the Tsukino family's faces.  
  
"Whoops. Sorry, Luna." Artemis winced as he realized what he had said.  
  
"Mother? Y'mean Mom was a super hero a thousand years ago?" Sammy   
laughed, unaware of Mrs. Tsukino's warning glare.  
  
"Er...not exactly, Sammy. Oh, whiskers, how can I explain this? Well...  
Serena is not *just* Serena, but also the reborn soul of the Moon   
Princess, Princess Serenity. She was called Princess Serena, and her   
mother was the Queen of the Moon Kingdom, Queen Serenity, also known by  
Earth legends as the goddess Selene. I was her Guardian then, and the  
girls were her royal court and princesses of THEIR planets, Mercury,   
Mars, Jupiter and Venus. They still are, actually..." Luna muttered as  
green light surrounded Lita, orange-yellow light enveloped Mina, red   
light bathed Raye, blue light glowed around Amy, and simultaneously   
their planet symbols appeared on their foreheads.  
  
Sammy's eyes widened at the rainbow auras surrounding his sister's   
friends and the symbols on their foreheads. Was his sister like this,   
too? How had she been able to keep all this a secret for so long?  
  
"Girls," Luna called to them. "Transform!"  
  
The girls each raised a hand into the air, some kind of wand of their  
respective color appearing in their hands.  
  
"Mars Power!"  
  
"Jupiter Power!"  
  
"Mercury Power!"  
  
"Venus Power!"  
  
Mrs. Tsukino put a hand over Sammy's eyes as the girls transformed,  
briefly appearing nude as their powers whirled around them. Luna and   
Artemis chuckled as Mr. Tsukino flushed and looked away, and in a flash  
of multicolored light, Sailors Mars, Venus, Mercury and Jupiter stood   
in the Tsukino living room.  
  
"WOW!!" Sammy cried excitedly, racing around the Sailor Scouts and   
poking at a bow here, a skirt there as if to make sure they were real.  
"I can't believe it, my sister and her friends are Sailor Scouts!"  
Then he remembered the seriousness of the situation..his sister was   
missing, presumed to have been taken by the very evil she fought. He   
believed them, now, knew that Serena was in big trouble. He frowned up  
at Mercury. "Can you save Serena? Will she be okay? We don't always get  
along, but I don't want her to get hurt."  
  
Mercury smiled gently, not wishing the little boy to worry. "We'll get   
her back and she'll be safe. Don't you worry, she'll be just fine." She  
glanced at the others, and with a silent nod, they all agreed to not   
tell them about the changes made to Serena's psyche. They had enough to  
worry about without knowing their daughter and sister may now be a   
totally different person than they once knew, and it might be difficult  
to bring her back. She gave a weak smile to the family and nodded.  
  
"We'll find her. You have nothing to worry about." She could only hope   
that she and the Scouts could make that promise come true...she glanced  
up at the moon as they left, and whispered, "Please don't leave us,   
Serena. We need you. Don't give in to the darkness! Bring back that   
light within you!"  
******  
  
Somehow, having an inner instinct of where to go in the shadowed   
hallways, Serena stepped noiselessly on the marble floors, her golden   
braided hair catching the dim torchlight and sparkling like liquid gold.  
Her dark uniform and cape blending into the gloom, she looked like a   
fallen angel in amidst the demons of the Negaverse. Her light blue eyes,  
now tinted with a shade of midnight, told another story. She was no   
angel this time, this was a dedicated warrior of the Negaverse, and she  
would have no mercy for those who had hurt her love.  
  
Sensing the presence of whom she sought(though she wasn't quite sure   
how she knew), Serena stepped through a domed hallway and glimpsed the  
Champion for the Negaverse lying upon a strange bed surrounded by   
glowing rings that moved over his body.  
  
"Darien...?" she whispered, tears filling those strange dark eyes.   
Beryl said he had been hurt, but he was so still and pale..she didn't   
realize just how hurt he'd been. She slowly made her way over to the   
bed, reaching hesitant fingers toward the rings to his face--just to   
insure herself he was still alive..  
  
"Don't." snapped a low male voice suddenly, snatching her hand away   
from the crackling rings. "Unless you want to be electrocuted. Only   
Queen Beryl can manipulate those rings."  
  
Serena turned, seeing behind her, his ice-blue eyes and white hair   
fairly glowing in the blackness, the Negaverse General Malachite.  
  
"What are you doing here?" she asked, completely at a loss as to why   
Malachite had followed her. "Are you spying on me?"  
  
Malachite frowned at the angry tone, unsure of how to handle this girl  
who, up til now, had been his enemy and a thorn in Beryl's side. "Our   
Queen asked me to..to keep an eye on you. She was worried about you,   
about your well-being after your encounter with the Sailor Scouts."   
  
There, that wasn't too far from the truth. He wasn't going to let her   
out of his sight--powerful the Negaforce may be, but he worried that the  
girl's internal lunar light would prove far more powerful and break his  
Queen's spell, losing their advantage over the Sailor Brats, which would  
lead to Beryl's fury and quite possibly his demise. The girl beared   
watching, one never knew what could happen.  
  
"She didn't have to worry, I'm fine." Serena spat, finding the strength  
to wrench her hand away from Malachite, then glanced down at Darien   
sadly. "I'm only worried about him. Will he be all right?"  
  
Malchite blinked at the emotion that filled the girl's cold voice. He   
knew she loved the unconscious man upon the bed, but he didn't realize   
how much. Knowing of love by the emotion he had shared with Zoisite, it  
almost felt wrong to use that love to make her do their bidding. But it  
must be done, if he ever wanted his Queen to triumph.  
  
"In time, with rest. The Scouts really did a number on him." His eyes  
widened in surprise as Serena gave a low growl, clenching a fist.  
  
"They will pay for hurting him. They will suffer like he is suffering.  
They--" Serena halted in the middle of her rant, eyes widening at the  
whisper she suddenly heard in her head.  
  
-"Please don't leave us, Serena. We need you. Don't give in to the   
darkness! Bring back that light within you!"-  
  
"What..?" she whispered. That voice sounded familiar. But where was it  
coming from? She glanced up as a soft glow glimmered out of the corner  
of her eye. There..a moonbeam had somehow found a way through a crack in  
the dark establishment and shone its light right upon her. The voice   
seemed to echo from that thin beam of lunar light. But how could that   
be?  
  
Malachite stepped back in horrified fascination as the former heroine-  
now-Negaverse-warrior seemed to give off a faint glow. He followed the   
light with his eyes and found the source. Ah, so the Moon was against   
them and trying to draw her back. Blast that Serenity! She was still   
watching over the brat! Well..that could be easily rectified.  
  
He raised his hands, called upon his power and formed his sharp energy  
knives. With a mental command, the knives left his hands, took a sort of  
mystical form and sliced their way through the moonbeam, severing its  
connection to the girl. The light that was slowly forming around the   
girl and in her eyes faded, and that sudden cut-off weakened her. She   
went crashing to the floor in a flurry of golden midnight, a half-broken  
dark angel.  
  
Against his better judgement, Malachite rushed to her, suddenly   
concerned for his former nemesis. He didn't know why, but he gently   
picked her up, cradling her limp form in his arms. Why by the Negaforce  
was he doing this? He felt guilt, concern, even a..fondness for his   
stubborn once-adversary. He admired her courage, her loyalty, and he   
genuinely cared for her well-being. He shuddered. Was he getting soft   
like Nephlite had been? Why should he care if this girl was alive or  
dead?  
  
Something flashed in his mind's eye, just for a second, but he saw   
himself standing on a balcony. He watched Endymion and this girl--their  
Moon Kingdom selves!--kiss, and he felt jealousy flare inside him that  
his..Prince..?..got to hold her, kiss her, while he wasn't worthy of   
that honor. A sort of sad decision crossed his heart, and he knew that  
Endymion had Serenity, not him.  
  
Malachite blinked, his arms tightening absently around Serena. "What..  
was that?" he whispered. Something like a memory? But..how could that   
be? Did that mean that he'd had another life before belonging to Beryl?  
It wasn't possible...  
  
"Mmnh..."  
  
She was awakening. Suddenly unsure of everything, he glanced down into  
the hazy eyes of the girl, watching her make her way back to the land   
of the living. Ice blue orbs warred with confused smoky blue, and she  
frowned.  
  
"What..where..?" The haze cleared, and the darkness shoved its way back  
into her eyes. She growled and raised her arms to shove him away. "Let  
go of me, you pasty-faced Nega twit! You may be a General, but you   
forget your place. I am my Queen's heir, and you have no right to   
manhandle me."  
  
Serena got to her feet and staggered away, and Malachite felt the   
wrongness of this plan heavily. He didn't quite understand what he saw   
in that flash, but he knew everything was all wrong. Wasn't it? His head  
spun in a total state of confusion as he too got to his feet, but was  
briefly forgotten as an image of Beryl appeared before them in the murky  
light.  
  
"Malachite, Dark Moon, Endymion. I have a mission for you to carry out."  
  
Endymion awakened at his Queen's voice, and all three got to one knee  
before the image, Malachite more slowly than the two.  
  
"What is it, my Queen?" Serena murmured respectfully, taking care to not  
meet the eyes of her superior.  
  
"I have found the Sailor Scouts. They are at an allies' establishment,  
just leaving. Stop them and capture them. I want to see what's so   
special about these girls that brings such difficulty to our plans."  
  
"The allies?" Serena questioned, seeing an image of a tall, blue-haired  
woman, a bespectacled man, and a little brown-haired boy. Beryl smiled.  
  
"No use to us. Kill them."  
  
"As you wish, m'Queen." Serena smiled.  
********  
~End Chapter 5~ 


	6. Chapter 6

Innocence Lost  
  
Chapter 6  
  
Rating: PG  
  
Author: Moonchild DJ  
  
E-Mail: moonchilddj@yahoo.com  
  
URL: www.angelfire.com/anime4/animehime  
  
Disclaimer: Sailor Moon isn't mine. I own nothing of it, it belongs to the wonderful people who own it, too various to name. ^_~ I DO own this fic and its storyline, so please don't steal, it's taken me forever to come up with this, I would be VERY upset were someone to steal my baby.  
  
Author's Notes: Hey there, minna-chan! Moonchild DJ here with a long- overdue chapter to "Innocence Lost". Gomen for taking so long, but I've had a major block on this, so I'm glad to finally see something out of this fic. Enjoy, and tell me what you think! ^^  
  
**********  
  
"..What is it, my Queen?" Serena murmured respectfully, taking care to not meet the eyes of her superior.  
  
"I have found the Sailor Scouts. They are at an allies' establishment, just leaving. Stop them and capture them. I want to see what's so special about these girls that brings such difficulty to our plans."  
  
"The allies?" Serena questioned, seeing the image of a tall, blue-haired woman, a bespectacled man, and a little brown-haired boy. Beryl smiled.  
  
"No use to us. Kill them."  
  
"As you wish, m'Queen." Serena smiled. She got to her feet, not seeing the smirk on Beryl's face before fading away. She turned to Endymion almost hesitantly, not sure how to act around him.  
  
Endymion smiled darkly as he got to his feet, crossing to her and caressing her cheek. "My lovely Dark Moon.."  
  
Serena gasped, smiling as she hugged him in relief. "Endymion.."  
  
Malachite blinked. It was almost like watching that memory over again--only this time in the Negaverse. They picked up right where they left off, even if their good selves hadn't.  
  
"No time for sentimentality, you two. We've a mission to carry out." he all but hissed, feeling jealousy at their bond, but pushing it back. He *was* a General, after all.  
  
"Mind your own business, Malachite." Endymion hissed back, glaring at him as he kept his arms around Serena, she doing the same, her eyes glaring daggers at the white-haired general.  
  
"I will..once the mission is over..now..move it!" Malachite snapped in annoyance as he started to walk out of the room.  
  
Endymion grumbled and let go of Serena. "Later, love?"  
  
Serena smiled, nodding her head. "Later..always. Let's go, before Malachite reports us to Beryl." She clasped his hand in hers, following after Malachite and into the dark transport tunnel.  
  
******  
  
The Scouts, having said their goodbyes and done all that they could do, were starting to leave the Tsukino home dispiritly, when each stopped in turn with a gasp, feeling a jolt of awareness pass through them. Raye, the most psychically sensitive, turned with wide violet eyes to the others.  
  
"Did..did you feel..?!"  
  
Amy nodded, her blue hair rippling slightly on the wind. "A...zap of something.."  
  
"An awareness..." Mina intoned, shivering. "Something coming.."  
  
"SomeONE, you guys..." Lita blinked. "We all felt it, it has to be Serena! She's coming home..!"  
  
"Slow down, Lita, remember, she's not on our side now! We felt the darkness take her. She's become part of the Negaverse." Raye warned.  
  
"Oh, come ON, Raye, you don't seriously think that Serena would hurt us--"  
  
The rest of her protest was cut off as an arc of power zapped out of nowhere, driving Lita off her feet before she could even make a sound, sending her crashing backwards into the house.  
  
The others turned, gasping in surprise and horror, and beheld a wonderful, yet frightening sight. Serena was indeed back, but she wasn't alone, nor did she look the same. She was dressed in a similiar outfit to that of the Generals, only feminine. In her hand was the Moon Wand, still held out and smoking as she landed lightly, Endymion and Malachite landing behind her.  
  
"Surprise." she replied softly, smirking.  
  
"Oh no..." Raye gasped in horror, stepping back with the others. "Girls..transform--now!!"  
  
They all nodded, grabbing for their henshin wands and transforming quickly, not having any choice.  
  
Malachite smirked as the Scouts, minus one, faced them. "Well..now, at least, we finally know their civilian identities. That's something."  
  
"That's not what we're here for. Take them down!" Serena intoned, raising her wand again.  
  
Hearing the fracas outside, the rest of the Tsukino family came to the door. Before anyone could say or do anything, Sammy gave a cry and rushed out. "Serena! You're okay!"  
  
Serena turned her head in surprise, eyes narrowing as she raised her weapon to the boy.  
  
"No, Serena, don't! Sammy!!" Mars cried, darting in between Sammy and the weapon, powering up. "Mars Fireballs Blast!" She let her fire power take on Serena's attack, pushing back Sammy protectively.  
  
"Raye, what are you doing? I wanna see Serena!" Sammy cried, trying to move around Mars. She grabbed his shoulders firmly and held him still.  
  
"No, Sammy, it's too dangerous! You can't, not right now!"  
  
"But..she's my sister..!"  
  
Serena growled as Endymion shielded her from the blast, Malachite taking over. "Malachite, stop! This is MY mission, not yours!"  
  
"Ever heard of teamwork, Dark Moon? Beryl assigned US to the mission, not you." Malachite sneered, raising his hands.  
  
Mars gasped, turning her back to Malachite to shield Sammy from his attack. Mercury rushed to Lita to help her while Venus darted forward to help Mars.  
  
"Venus Crescent Beam Smash!"  
  
Malachite growled as his attack clashed with Venus', Dark Moon and Endymion joining the fight and adding their attacks. Sammy shivered as he watched his older sister attack her best friends.  
  
"Raye, why is she trying to hurt you? I don't get it.."  
  
"It's okay, kiddo, don't worry about it. Just get back to safety, okay?" Mars released Sammy and pushed him back toward the house.  
  
Serena saw what she was trying to do and smirked, leaping forward and grabbing Sammy before he could reach safety.  
  
"Surrender, Sailor Scouts, or the spore gets it."  
  
Sammy gasped as the ebony-hued crescent moon weapon gleamed before his eyes, making him realize just how serious the situation was. He whimpered, wriggling in the unyielding grip. "Serena..! You're hurting me!"  
  
"Serena Tsukino, let go of your little brother, now!" Ilene shrieked in horror, hardly believing that her sweet daughter was acting so horrible.  
  
"Serena..let go of him." Mars gasped, shaking with terror and anger. The Negaverse was going to pay for twisting her friend to this..this stranger.  
  
Serena growled. "Surrender..and we'll see."  
  
Mars glared. Apparantly, they were at a standoff..and she didn't know if there was any way to get past it.  
  
Sammy glanced up at the blonde-haired girl that looked so much like his sister, but acted nothing like her. Even the Meatball Head didn't act this mean.. "Serena.."  
  
"Shut up, brat, if you know what's good for you." Serena snarled, not noticing his eyes fill with tears as he tried to shrink away.  
  
"LET HIM GO, SERENA!!" Two blurs, one black, one white, pounced on her, clawing and biting her.  
  
Serena cried out, releasing Sammy in her distraction, and yanking at the cats in pain. "Get OFF me, you furballs!"  
  
Sammy took his chance and raced back to his parents, shaking with terror. "What's happened to her? She's nothing like Serena!"  
  
Ilene and Ken held their son close, Ilene kissing her son's head. "I don't know, baby, I don't know.."  
  
Luna and Artemis leapt off of Serena once Sammy was in the clear, leaving one very ticked-off blonde.  
  
"That was a BIG mistake..but I think that it can be fixed." she smirked as Endymion and Malachite stood at her sides. "Let's get them."  
  
**********  
  
~End Chapter 6~ 


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